Patsy, who is 3 years old, is an indoor pet, but when Stasiowski opened her garage for a clean-up Sunday afternoon, Patsy ran for daylight. Scared by the rush of passing cars, she didn’t turn tail back to the house – she scampered 50 feet up the nearest tree.

"She’s been there ever since," Stasiowski said Wednesday afternoon. "It’s the first time she’s ever done this."

She said the animal control officer advised her to "wait it out" until Patsy was ready to climb down. She put her other cat, her 5-year-old "tuxedo" Bandit, into a carrier and took him beneath the tree, to see if Patsy would follow Bandit’s cry to the ground. But she didn’t.

Stasiowski called the fire department, police and animal control Monday.

Animal Rescue League of Boston staffers arrived Tuesday but couldn’t throw a rope above a transformer line, so they called the Braintree Electric Light Department to see if the utility could send a bucket truck to fetch the cat.

Stasiowski said BELD had the same problem. By Wednesday afternoon, Patsy was crouched farther out on the high limb. Rescue League staffers returned to hold a net covered by a cloth comforter in case Patsy accidentally fell. But they had to leave shortly after 5 p.m., as the light began to fade.

The Rescue League couldn’t be reached for immediate comment about the attempted rescue. Firefighters said they couldn’t immediately find a record of an initial emergency call from Stasiowski.

Patsy was finally brought down by Matthew Murray, a family friend, from Murray Tree and Landscape Co. of Weymouth.

Stasiowski said Murray climbed up the tree, offered a treat to lure Patsy within reach, and then took her down.

"He said it’s one of the hardest ones he’s ever done," she said.

Moments after Patsy was back home, Stasiowski treated her to a serving of Ideal Balance Savory Venison.

As for future dashes from the garage, "That’s not going to happen again," Stasiowski said.

Lane Lambert may be reached at llambert@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @LLambert_Ledger.